Examination of James Dalton

fol. 90r

2006
<symbol> The examinacion of James Dalton of Molluimyeghan in the County of Westmeath gent aged 36 yeares or thereabouts taken the xijth day of August 1653 before Colonell Thomas Herbert and Robert Doyly Esquire two of the Comittee appoynted by the High Court of Justice sitting at Dublin for taking examinacions of Massacres and Murthers aco comitted in the County of Westmeath &c.
Whoe being duely sworn and examined deposeth and sayth That by the common voyce and report of the Country he heard that the murther of his brother McEdmund Dalton was plotted & Comitted as followeth <A> vizt That at the tyme of the parly betwixt the Lo: of Ranelagh that now is, and Sir James Dillon knight the sayd Edmund going ryding from Athlone towards the place where the sayd Parley, was to be, one Oliver buy Magawly and Richard o Brien of Creggan in the County of Westmeath treatcherously layd wayte for him in the way and when he came neere vnto them they beckned vnto him and in a frendly manner desired him not to stand so aloof from them and promised that they would doe him noe harme wheron to which the sayd Edmund giving Creddit came neere and the sayd Oliver having before layd Ambush for him both behynd & before him he reached vnto him a paper ended which he sayd was my lo: Presidents Pass and desired to knowe whither the name subscribed vnto it were the Lo: Presidents owne hand or not, which the sayd Edmond Dalton no sooner tooke into his hand to looke vpon, but the sayd Oliver tooke him fast by the hand and the sayd Richard o Brien tooke fast hold
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fol. 90v

2007
of him on the other syde and violently pluckt him downe from his horse and then the ambush came in and the sayd Oliver and Richard tooke his horse from him and robd him of his monney and gould Ryngs which he then had about him And then presently tooke him prisoner to Creggan aforesayd and from thence sent him with a guard the same night day, beinge the last day of September 1642 to a place Called Booly vickeCahillroe two Miles distant from Cregan, where he was kept prisoner that night in the howse of Mary Relish widdowe and most cruelly caused him the next morning being the Sabaoth day to be hanged vntill he was deade and stript him of his Clothes and buried him naked allowing him only a half shirt about him and and presently after [ ] the sayd Murther, went to Mass to the howse of Ellis ffury at Kilclogh in in the sayd County widdowe where they did publiquely reioyce and bragg of the service they did in putting the sayd Edmund Dalton to death in manner as aforesayd And this examinant being demaunded whoe els he heard or knoweth had a hand in the murther of his his sayd brother, sayth that at the tyme of the sayd murther one Art o Melaghlin now prisoner had <C> the comaund of a foot company at the Castle of Creggan at the same tyme when his brother was brought prisoner, thither there And that as he heard his brother Terenc o Melaghlyn was a soldier in his company at that tyme, and as this examinant heard about that tyme departed from his brother in discontent because he would not lett him have the Collours of his company And this examinant further sayth that
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2008
That he verily beleeveth that if the sayd Art <D> o Melaghlyn and his brother Terence had not a hand in the Murther of the sayd Edmund Dalton that they having the sayd Art having the comaund of a foot company in the sayd Towne of Creggan at the tyme that the examinants brother was brought prisoner thither the sayd Art mought easely have taken him out of the hands of the sayd Oliver Magawly and Richard o Brien and so have saved his Lyfe from those bloody murtherers And this examinant further sayth that Edward fitz Gerrald now prisoner was the first mann that robd and plunderd his sayd brother of all his goods But as concerning the Murther of his sayd brother the examinant can say nothing against him And this examinant further sayth not
James Dalton
Taken before vs
Tho Herbert
R Doyly

The examinant is bound to the keeper &c in C li.
with Condicion to appeare vpon notice
& x s. and not depart &c
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fol. 91v

2009

The examinacion of James
Dalton of Molluimyeghan
against
Oliver Boy Magawly &
others for the Murther
of Mr Edmund
Dalton.